I can only explain it by the fact that most Romanian tennis players just can't build up any 'relation' to this surface. They play their first grass matches very late in their junior careers and afterwards maybe 3 to 5 matches a year and that's it.
It usually takes longer to really adapt and maybe even appreciate the specialties each surface offers to your game and grass actually offers a lot to Monica's game. If she had something that could be called 'serve', I would even go as far to say that she could be called grass specialist.

It is and it isn't surprising at the same time. You said it yourself: no grass courts in Romania, few grass-events, all this lead to poor results on grass. Becoming a grass specialist at 26 is not very likely to happen, but I wish her all the best. I know I'd be delighted for her even if she wins a first round at Wimbledon this year.

I remember after Spirlea and Dragomir there was a pretty lengthy period when there were no Romanians in the top 100 so there was no danger of a Romanian drawing a top 10er at all back then.

Although none of the current crop of Romanians have matched Spirlea or Dragomir in success the depth of women's Romanian tennis these last few years has been unprecedented so that at least is a good thing.

As for Monica at RG, we need to pray for Paszek I think.

And if they're seeded in GS they can always draw dangerous unseeded players in the first round.

I remember I was 7 yo, when Spirlea was seeded 6th at AO and she played Serena in the first round. I was in the first grade and I was almost late for school that morning because I stayed to watch the whole humiliation

Better let's pray for Paszek at RG and someone else than Paszek at Wimbledon

For Monica this year Madrid isn't Mandatory because she isn't in MD entry list, so her points will increase even she will be eliminated in Q. And, if she won against Vesnina she couldn't be able to play in Madrid Q.

It is and it isn't surprising at the same time. You said it yourself: no grass courts in Romania, few grass-events, all this lead to poor results on grass. Becoming a grass specialist at 26 is not very likely to happen, but I wish her all the best. I know I'd be delighted for her even if she wins a first round at Wimbledon this year.

I don't know about that. A lot of players develop a game for grass as they get older. Overall it is the slam the most suits veteran players. Grass is more about skills that players tend to develop more as they get older compared to the other slams.

And on the ATP, the player who Monica is most often compared to, Fabrice Santoro, became something of a grass specialist himself, later in his career. At the age of 28, Fabrice had a career record on grass of just 6-10, having lost his 1st 5 matches on the stuff. From then on to the end of his career he went 38-23 on grass with two titles and another final and two more semis, not bad considering how few events are played on grass. At Wimbledon, between 1999 and 2007 Fabrice was one of only two players, Tim Henman being the other, to win at least one match every year.

For Monica this year Madrid isn't Mandatory because she isn't in MD entry list, so her points will increase even she will be eliminated in Q. And, if she won against Vesnina she couldn't be able to play in Madrid Q.

I was wondering about that. So if Monica is eliminated in qualifying Madrid will no longer count as a mandatory? I knew if Monica didn't make the main draw of Madrid and then didn't enter the tournament it would no longer count as a mandatory but I didn't know that would be the case even if she lost in the qualifying.

That is quite funny then. So...if that is the case, Monica will actually gain 55 ranking points if she loses in the qualifying (as her Brussels points would replace her Madrid points). But if she qualifies and loses in the 1st round she will only gain 25 points.

Or maybe it is even more complicated than that. Does Madrid start to count as a manditory if you enter the main draw as a qualifier? I have no idea on this.

Of course right now Monica is next in to the main draw so it is very possible that this discussion will become redundant too.

I don't know about that. A lot of players develop a game for grass as they get older. Overall it is the slam the most suits veteran players. Grass is more about skills that players tend to develop more as they get older compared to the other slams.

And on the ATP, the player who Monica is most often compared to, Fabrice Santoro, became something of a grass specialist himself, later in his career. At the age of 28, Fabrice had a career record on grass of just 6-10, having lost his 1st 5 matches on the stuff. From then on to the end of his career he went 38-23 on grass with two titles and another final and two more semis, not bad considering how few events are played on grass. At Wimbledon, between 1999 and 2007 Fabrice was one of only two players, Tim Henman being the other, to win at least one match every year.

I had no idea and this is actually comforting to know

Hope Mon is aware of this and she'll have one day the same stats Santoro has on grass.

I was wondering about that. So if Monica is eliminated in qualifying Madrid will no longer count as a mandatory? I knew if Monica didn't make the main draw of Madrid and then didn't enter the tournament it would no longer count as a mandatory but I didn't know that would be the case even if she lost in the qualifying.

That is quite funny then. So...if that is the case, Monica will actually gain 55 ranking points if she loses in the qualifying (as her Brussels points would replace her Madrid points). But if she qualifies and loses in the 1st round she will only gain 25 points.

Or maybe it is even more complicated than that. Does Madrid start to count as a manditory if you enter the main draw as a qualifier? I have no idea on this.

Of course right now Monica is next in to the main draw so it is very possible that this discussion will become redundant too.

Monica is in Q so Madrid will no longer count as mandatory is she will not qualify for the MD. In this case she will have 1255 points after Madrid. If she'll qualify but lose in the first round of MD she will have 1225 points. The worst scenario from the ranking point of view is to be LL (very possible as she has nr 1 seed in Q) and lose in the first round of MD.